Black, White, and Nothing In-between
by Spnlytherin13
Summary: Tala is finally free thanks to the angel Sofiel. She struggles with her dark past and a hidden power as she try's to help the Winchester's prevent Lucifer from rising. However, when her big secret is exposed, stopping the apocalypse becomes nearly impossible. Set in Season four.
1. Prologue

~September 1989~

"Danny, wait up!" I cried hurrying to keep up with my older brother. He was walking along the trail and my short legs couldn't keep up with his fast pace. When he heard me call for him, he slowed down and turned, giving me a bright smile. He was only two and half years older than me, even though he was a big know it all. With his dark skin, black hair, brown eyes, and round face he took after my father. I didn't take after one parent in particular. I had tan skin, paler than my brothers, and black hair. My eyes were green like my mothers. I returned Danny's smile and ran up to walk next to him. Hiking through the mountains in North Carolina was our favorite thing to do. I was almost five, and I loved being outdoors and exploring. We weren't allowed to go out on our own yet. My mom always insisted that our father come with. My father was Native American, a Cherokee. We lived on the reservation in North Carolina. My mother was Irish. It was an interesting combination, but I loved it.

"Stick together you two!" My dad's voice echoed off the mountains as he came walking out of the woods. My dad was tall and strong. He had taught us from the beginning to respect and love nature and all it has to offer. And he loved telling stories. My favorite was the tale of the two wolves and I pestered him almost every night to tell it to me.

"Come on Tala, let's go see if we can find any deer or coyote's!" Danny said grabbing my hand. I looked over at my dad. He glanced in our direction and nodded, silently giving us his permission. Danny and I ran forward to the small grove where we would sit and watch for wild animals. I lay down on the ground and peeked over one of the tree roots. I glanced around at my surroundings. Large rolling hills stretched in every direction. It was September and the leaves were changing colors. Yellow, orange, red, and even some purple leaves were on every tree. The sun shone weakly overhead, providing a little warmth from the cold ground. The sun dappled on the ground and added to the beauty of the whole scene.

Then I saw them. Two coyotes stepped out of the woods not to far from us. Danny and I exchanged an excited glance. We had never actually seen coyotes before, just deer, small mammals, and one fox. I had never seen anything so amazing. We had a dog back on the reservation but seeing the coyotes in the wild was amazing. And then I felt it. A shiver, or a ripple, ran through my skin. Everything became sharper and I felt different. I heard Danny let out a gasp of shock.

"What's wrong?" I asked? But it didn't come out that way. It came out as a bark. My brother scrambled to his feet his eyes huge, why did he look so tall? It took me a moment to realize that I was standing on all fours. I looked down and noticed that I had paws not feet. I screamed and it came out as a yelp.

"Dad, come quickly! Dad!" Danny was running back the way we had come. I stumbled after him, trying to get the hang of moving on all fours. What was I? A dog, a fox, or maybe a coyote? All I knew was that I wasn't human. I finally got moving and I quickly caught up to my brother. Whatever was happening, I was starting to enjoy it. Running on all fours was so much quicker than moving as a human. I skidded to a halt in front of my dad. To my surprise, he didn't look horrified like Danny did. Instead he just chuckled and knelt down.

"It's all right Danny," he said smiling down at me, "I knew one of you would inherit it."

"Inherit what?" I asked, but it came out as a whimper.

"I can't understand you Tala," he said, he looked like he was trying not to laugh, "Just remember who you are all right? You're a person, but you're also a wolf. You will have to learn to control it, and I know you can." He paused for a moment and looked at me. I wondered what I looked like? Was I a pretty wolf? Or was I all mangy looking? I've never seen a wolf before. My father always mentioned tht they were like large powerful coyotes. My dad laughed again and shook his head in amazement. "You're quite the cute pup aren't you? I need you to come back now Tala. All you have to do is close your eyes and think about being a person again. You can do it."

I shut my eyes tight and thought about what I looked like. I thought about my family, my father and mother, Danny, and my baby sister Bree. A second later I felt that shiver run through me again. I knew without even looking that I was back. "What just happened?" I said. I was confused but I was also happy. I was a wolf! "_Could I do it again?"_ I wondered.

Danny was still looking at me as if he didn't understand what was going on. He seemed to be recovering from the initial shock. "You are like me Tala. You have the ability to transform yourself into an animal at will, in your case, a wolf. You're called a skinwalker." I froze I knew what skinwalkers were! He had told me about them in his stories. Some were evil and some were good. "You are going to learn to control it but you must not tell anyone." He said softly. "Do you understand?"

"Yes father!" I said happily. Danny still looked scared but he stepped forward and hugged me. I knew I could always count on him. He was my big brother and he would always care for me.

"Don't worry Tala," he said softly, "I still love you, you just scared me!" he still looked a little shaken up by the quick ordeal. He stepped back and looked at me as if he'd never seen me before. He looked worried.

"I bet I can outrun you now!" I said bouncing on the balls of my feet. Danny forced a smile but I could tell he was still uncomfortable. Maybe I should be more worried but I was too excited. What I had just done was the most amazing thing, I couldn't see how it was a bad thing.

My father came over and kissed me on the forehead. "Let's go back now, we have a lot to talk about." I followed him as we walked home to the reservation. Danny walked ahead, casting a glance back at me to make sure I was following. It wouldn't be the first time I had run off in the woods alone. I didn't want to run back into the woods this time, I was too excited to share my discovery with the rest of the family. Before I left the woods, I turned around and glanced at the mountains, the falling leaves and the trees. I was going to be part of something great. And I was stronger then I thought I would ever be. I took a deep breath, breathing in the smell of the mountains and the forests. Everything seemed so much brighter; my senses seemed so much sharper. Even though I was nervous, I had never been more excited. I had a unique and special power. My dad was going to teach me how to control it. And one day I was going to make a difference in the world. I took one more deep breath before turning back to my father. Together we went home to tell my mother the news.

_**Just some information for everyone! This is my first fanfic so please give me critiques on what you think I can do better! I'm going to try to upload at least one chapter a week, and chapter one should be up tonight or tomorrow. Another quick note, there will be a lot of flashbacks in this story and I'm planning on making the flashbacks in all italics and probably throwing them in as a separate chapter. If anybody has any preferences on the best way to do flashbacks, I'm here to listen! Thank you for reading and I hope you like it. **_


	2. Free

_**Hey everyone thanks for the reviews on the prologue! Sorry this chapter took so long for me to get up, I've been a little busy. The dates on the top of the page will only be there for flashbacks from now on, this is the "modern day"/time setting for this fic. As I mentioned before, there will be quite a few flashbacks and I'm going to do my best to make the timeline/storyline flow with the flashbacks and the time that everything happens. This is set in season four and it will be from Tala's point of view. Oh and Tala is pronounced like Kayla but with a T, so Tayla. I have a lot of ideas and I'm going to be taking it chapter by chapter, so I'm 100% open to critiques, ideas, questions, opinions, concerns, you name it! Now without more delay, here is chapter one. **_

~September 21, 2008~

This had to be some sort of cruel joke. Or maybe it was a dream. It couldn't be reality. My mind refused to accept that. After 365 years, not days, I had completely given up all hope. There was just no way I could be free. It just didn't seem possible that all the pain, all the torture, all the horror, was finally over. I always wondered which was stronger, fear or hope. All my life, I had held onto the belief that hope will always be stronger than fear. But I was wrong. 365 years in hell had changed my mind. I had desperately tried to hold on but everyone has a breaking point. It was all I could do to say no to Alastair at the end of everyday. After so many years, he eventually stopped offering. And I had eventually lost all hope that somebody would save me. Maybe this was some sort of hallucination; I just couldn't allow myself to hope. Not after all I had been through.

"You could get in big trouble for this." I heard a male's voice say. I sat up, instantly trying to pinpoint where the voice was coming from. I quickly took in my surroundings. I was in a simple log cabin. It was dusty and rundown, as if it hadn't been used in a long time. My eyes swept along the floor of the small room. I was in a small bedroom. The place looked familiar but I wasn't sure why. I ran my hand along the woven blanket of the bed, examining the blue and back threads. The voices outside were the last thing on my mind right now. I knew why this place was so familiar. I glanced at the dresser beside the bed. My special homemade silver stag knife was lying on the dresser. I grabbed it, glad to have the comfort of my chosen weapon in my hand. This was the place where I grew up it had to be. I was almost nervous to look at the decorations on the walls, for fear I was wrong. Nevertheless, I glanced over to my left and sure enough, there was a painting of a wolf on the wall. I was home.

"-Couldn't just leave her down there!" this time it was a female voice, "She didn't deserve it." I was pretty certain that they were talking about me. I swung my feet over the side of the bed and stood up, making sure my knife was still gripped firmly in my hand. It was strange standing up. I rolled my shoulders back and took a deep breath. My mind was screaming at me, telling me it was nothing but a trick. My heart on the other hand was telling me to hope, and so I allowed myself to believe. I took a few steps towards the door and stopped just shy of opening it. What if this was a dream? What if I opened the door and I woke up, back in hell? But this was different. When I dreamed in hell it was never this vivid.I was still scared though. I f this was a dream, I didn't want it to end. I summoned all my courage and pushed open the door.

Naturally, I was just in another room. I should have remembered the setup of my own house. I didn't have time to explore my home. I had to figure out what was going on. I strode more confidently across the room, tucking my knife against my side. Dreams were weird, but I was growing more and more certain that this was no dream. Usually, in a dream, there's a barrier or a door. When you walk through, you wake up. At least, that's how it had always been for me. But I had gone through a door and into another room. I didn't wake up! I smiled for the first time in over 200 years.

I pushed open the door and took in the view. I was finally seeing the sky again. It was dusk, and the sun was setting behind the mountains. The leaves looked like they were just starting to change color, green and yellow leaves on the same tree. But everything looked the same. Our house had been right at the foothills of the mountains, on the edge of the reservation. It was nearly a mile long walk to get to the main village. We had several acres of pasture surrounding our house where our horses would roam. Usually we would ride the horses into the village. I could see the old barn now, along with the cabin where my grandparents lived.

"You should be resting." A soft voice interrupted my thoughts. I jumped and turned around. A woman was standing behind me. She was pale, with long blonde hair shaped around her face. She had blue eyes and was a few inches taller than me. The man standing behind her stepped back as if he was uncomfortable. He looked familiar.

"Have I met you before?" I asked.

"Yes, I helped you and your sister once." He replied. He still looked awkward, as if he didn't want to be anywhere near me.

"Castiel?" I remembered now, he had saved Bree's life when Lilith had attacked her. I had been too far away to help and he had showed up and saved her. Lilith had fled for her life once I came back. i had also seen him once when I was down in hell. I thought he had come to help me but he just left me there. "What's going on?"

He looked away, avoiding any eye contact with me. His expression was almost impossible to read. Maybe shame, or concern, or worry?" I should go." He said flatly, and a second later he was gone. The woman turned and smiled at me. She looked stressed. Her and Cas had obviously been fighting about something. I wanted to ask but I had more important questions on my mind.

She stepped forward and held out her hand. I shook it and raised my eyebrows at her, silently inviting her to speak "My name is Sofiel. I am an angel, like Castiel." She said softly. "I'm sorry it took us this long to come for you. We didn't have much choice. We had to get Dean first. I wasn't supposed to come back for you, but I couldn't leave you down there. You deserve a second chance at life." It took a moment for that to sink in. Those words, rescue, second chance, _life_. It all was true.

"I'm, I'm free?" I could barely get the words out. Sofiel nodded, her eyes searching mine for some sign of emotion. Then, all at once, it hit me. I had gotten out. And I was never going back. Tears of joy instantly sprung into my eyes. I covered my mouth with my hands, caught in-between laughing and crying. I was alive and free! "Thank you!" I cried. I wiped the tears from my eyes, "Thank you so much." I choked out. I wanted to rush forward and embrace her, but I figured it wouldn't be the smartest move. She was an angel after all. I knew how powerful they were.

"There is no need to thank me, I should have come sooner." She said. Her smile had disappeared now, to be replaced by narrowed eyes and a deep frown. I shook my head at her. She had come for me and that was all that mattered. "I need to go now. You should go see your family." She gave me one more searching look and then she was gone. Just like Cas.

I hesitated. I wanted to call her back. I had to explain to her that it wasn't her fault she was just being obedient. She had no reason to feel guilty. She had saved me; surely she understood that I could never be angry with her for not coming sooner. I took a deep breath and turned back towards my grandparent's house. It was getting late and the sun was almost behind the hills. I started to walk towards their house. But I couldn't wait much longer. I started running as fast as I could to see my family.

My grandparent's home was smaller than mine. It was a simple log cabin that lacked rooms. They had a large fire pit right outside it. I remember when I was young I would sit in front of it with my brother and sister and listen to their stories. Many times, my dad would act out the stories as my grandparent's told them. My mother would come with us, but she normally didn't join in with us. She always said she felt out of place with all the Cherokee traditions we participated in. When Bree and Danny started to get older, they also started to feel out of place on the reservation. I was the only one who really felt a sense of belonging in the mountains.

I heard a door open over by the barn. _Of course_, I thought. _They must be putting the horses away. _ My grandmother's name was Lulu, but we always called her Leesi. U Li Si meant grandmother in the Cherokee language, and we had shortened it slightly. My Grandfather's name was Micco, and that was what we called him. Micco and Leesi, my grandparent's. When I was three years old, they surprised me with a gift. A beautiful blue roan warmblood. She had been just a yearling when my grandparent's had given her to me. I named her Eclipse. My grandparent's had always been there for me, they were the first to comfort me when my father died and they continued to support me even after my mother died. My father had told them about my abilities as a skinwalker, and even then, they still loved me. they both found it amazing how powerful I was and they were always glad to help me when it came to controlling my abilities. When I had left for the last time, they had cried and hugged me and held onto me for so long. They both prayed for me to return safely, to get out of my deal. I could only imagine how horrible it must have been for them when I didn't come back.

And there she was. Leesi was closing the door on the barn. She looked the same as she had when I left. Her dark brown hair in two braids, a simple dress, and her very round face. She turned around towards me and froze in shock. "O Si Yo Leesi" I said gently, beaming at her. Her immediate shock didn't last very long. She instantly dropped the bucket that she was carrying and walked towards me as fast as she could. She stopped a foot in front of me, blinking tears out of her eyes. Reaching out, she put one hand on my face, as if making sure I was real. She let out a small laugh and then grabbed me and hugged me close to her. I hugged her back. "I'm home," I whispered, "It's really me."

"Lulu, you left the door unlo-" he broke off suddenly when he saw me. I glanced up from hugging Leesi and looked at Micco. He looked so much older, as if he had aged ten years since I had been gone. For all I knew, I had been gone for ten years. I was in hell for 365 years; I had no idea how much faster time moved down there. Micco continued to stare at me, as if he couldn't believe his eyes. I couldn't even believe it myself, "You're alive?" he stammered out. His eyes were still wide in shock. I stepped back from Leesi and she grabbed my hand. I could tell she was too choked up to say anything. I nodded at Micco. This time he didn't hesitate he grabbed me and pulled me into his arms. He gently kissed my head and then held me close to him. I lay my head on his shoulder. We hugged for what seemed like a lifetime. And I was okay with that. I had finally come home and I couldn't be happier. And for a brief moment, I was the luckiest girl alive. We finally broke apart and my grandfather placed his hands on my shoulders, still smiling that familiar smile of his, "Come inside Tala, I feel you have quite the story for us," he said, "Welcome home granddaughter."

I followed them inside and Leesi instantly brought me water and some snacks. I didn't know how much to tell them. I wasn't going to tell them about hell…I couldn't bring myself to talk about it. I was more interested in hearing what I missed, and more importantly, how much time I had missed.

"You've been gone for just over three years dear," Leesi said as if she could read my mind. She picked the newspaper up off the table and passed it to me.

"September 21, 2008?" I could hear the shock in my voice. I quickly did the math. "So each month was like ten years then," I muttered.

"How long were you down there for Tala? I've heard stories… how time passes differently, I hope you weren't down there for longer than three years," Micco sounded upset. I wonder how hard it must have been for him to imagine what was happening to me. I didn't want to break his heart, but I had never lied to my grandparents. I loved them to much to lie to them.

"Time passes differently," I sad slowly, "I'm sorry but I can't tell you everything, I can't bring myself to. It's still too fresh on my mind and I've only been out for a few hours. I don't think I'll ever recover from it either." I paused for a moment. Both my grandparents looked sad and hurt, I knew they just wanted to help. But just them being here for me, that helped more than anything, "I was down there for 365 years." I said quickly. Micco put his face in his hands and took a few deep breaths. Leesi let out a soft gasp and grabbed my hand tightly. "Please guys don't feel sorry for me. I made my choice, and being here with you is helping me more than you know. I love you two so much, and I missed you and being home with you has brought me so much joy already." I could tell they wanted to sit with me for a long time and talk to me and try to make me feel better. "Where are Danny and Bree?" I asked, trying my hardest to distract them from my story.

"They are both at college," Micco said, "Danny is at medical school and Bree is finishing up her undergraduate studies in international business."

"That's wonderful!" I grinned at them, trying to let them know that they were helping me. I wanted to ask more about my siblings but at the same time, I wanted to hear it from them. They were going to be so happy when they figured out that I was alive. I was tempted to call them, but this was face-to-face news. A lot must have happened in the three years that I was gone, but I was most concerned about those that I loved. For the moment being, I didn't really care about the news of the world I just wanted to know that everyone who I cared for was still alive and well. "And what about Eclipse? Is she still here?" I bit my lip, anxiously awaiting their answer. My horse meant a lot to me. I had grown up with her I could ride a horse before I could walk. I had worked with Leesi to train Eclipse by myself. We had grown up together. Saying goodbye to her before I left to try to break my deal was almost as hard as saying goodbye to my family.

They both exchanged a glance and my heart sank. She couldn't be gone. I couldn't deal with more heartbreak. I just wanted some happiness in my life now that I was out. It had only been three years, and she should still be alive and well. I braced myself for the worst. Then Leesi smiled brightly and tossed me the keys to the barn. I caught them and looked back and forth at them. "She is alive and well!" Micco said brightly. "Why don't you go for a ride and take your mind off things?" I jumped up and ran to the door. But then I skidded to a halt and glanced back at them. "Go!" Micco laughed, "You deserve it. Go open your mind and have fun. We'll still be here when you get back, I promise." I returned his grin and opened the door to go see my best friend.

I sprinted as fast as I could to the barn. It was amazing to be able to run again. I was finally in control. It was amazing how I was getting over hell this fast. I had only been out for a few hours and I could already feel the world healing me. I had always been an optimist. I always saw the positive in every situation that I was thrust into. I always had something to hold onto. I had briefly lost hold of that. But now, now that I was free, I was hopeful again. I would get to see my family, or what was left of my family, again. I didn't belong in hell and I knew that. Bad things sometimes happen to good people. I understood that. I wasn't perfect but I don't think I deserved what I had gone through. Yet here I was, with a second chance at life.

I unlocked the door and walked into the barn. The entrance was actually more of an office. The papers and documents, including food reports and name and age of our various horses, lined the walls. On the left was the tack room, including riding boots and helmets. I slid inside and pulled on my boots. They still looked like they were in perfect condition. My grandparents must have taken care of them, and the rest of my riding gear. _Did they know that I was going to come back? _I also grabbed a blanket and bridal off the wall. I pushed open the simple double doors, which led to the stables.

The barn was exactly how I remembered. It was a small barn, with room for about 15 horses. We only had seven. There used to be one for each of us. Eclipse was in the second to last stall on the left. I could see her now, her black face poking out. I forced myself not to run to her. My heart was pounding so hard and I blinked back tears. I heard her let out a soft whinny, as if she was welcoming me home. Finally, I couldn't help myself. I ran straight towards her. As I reached her I held out a hand and stroked her soft nose. Then I didn't hesitate. I threw my arms around her neck and held her close to me. she pushed her nose into her back as if she was hugging me in return. We stood there for a moment, happy to be reunited.

I finally broke apart and slid open the door. She didn't wait for me to walk into the stall. Instead, she pushed her way out and nudged me with her nose. Laughing I gave her a quick look over. She had just been groomed; Leesi or Micco had probably brushed them before putting them away for the night. I quickly checked her hooves and they were also clean.

"You ready to go for a ride?" I whispered combing my fingers through her black mane. Her coat was a mixed grey and black with black stockings and a black face. She had a small white star on her black face as well. She nickered in response to my question and I kissed her on the cheek before putting the blanket on her back. I was going to ride bareback. I removed her halter and put on her bridal. She stood perfectly still, like the perfect horse she was. 

I led her out of the barn, making sure to close the door behind me. The sun had disappeared over the edge and the moon was rising. Smiling I looked up at the stars and took it all in. the sky, the grass, the trees, the mountains, I remember when I used to take it all for granted. Now I savored every moment. I walked her out of the pasture, not even holding the reigns. I trusted her enough to stay beside me. I shut the pasture gate behind me and Eclipse nudged me impatiently, as if she was eager to get the ride started.

I jumped up on her back and looked around, trying to figure out where I wanted to go. There were many trails through the mountains. My favorite one went by the waterfall. But I wanted to go somewhere more private. I leaned forward and clicked in her ear. Eclipse took off at a gallop. I laughed with joy as we galloped through the trees towards the trail. Riding was just how I remembered it. there was no better way to celebrate my freedom than to ride through the mountains in the cold autumn air with the stars shining overhead.

As soon as we got on the trail, I slowed Eclipse down to a trot so I could enjoy the view. I had nicknamed the trail Cliff's Edge. It went straight up into the mountains. Once it got up near the top of one of the hills, it veered along the edge of the mountain. At the very top there was a clearing with a gorgeous view of a stream. When I was younger, bree and I would ride to the clearing and have a picnic there. When I rode with Danny, we usually chose the shorter trail. We liked to race. There were so many trails that ran through the mountains, and my grandparents and my parents had helped make many of them.

I slowed her down to a walk once we got to the top of the hill. With the trees surrounding me on all sides, it was nearly pitch black outside. But Eclipse and I both knew this trail well. We were in no danger here. I leaned forward and stroked her neck; glad to be home where I belonged. She bobbed her head up and down like she had done since she was a yearling. It was one of the many small characteristics that made me love her even more. I hopped off her back so I could walk next to her. As we continued up the trail together, she kept turning and placing her head on my shoulder. I wonder if she missed me as much as I missed her. Whenever I stopped, she stopped. Whenever I walked faster, so did she. I was blessed to own a horse like her.

I knew we were getting close to the turn around of the trail. I found a fallen tree and used to help me get back on her back. I didn't even have to ask her this time. She started galloping towards the clearing. I dropped the reigns and held onto her mane, trying to be one with her. And there was the clearing. She stopped and reared up as we got there, before pawing at the ground, reveling in her own power. I looked out over the dark mountains and the trees. I felt powerful and alive. For a minute, I just buried my face in Eclipse's mane. She twisted her head around and nuzzled my leg. When I glanced up again, everything was blurry. I didn't realize I had been crying with joy. I put my right hand in a fist and looked up at the stars. Without hesitating, I held my fist up to the sky. Eclipse looked up too and pawed the ground, celebrating with me. together we celebrated my freedom.


End file.
